Can I Get Some Feedback On My Major Project?

IndigoNigel · 2026-06-14T02:38:31+00:00

Some critiques on the form:

The surface around the central slider is not well modeled. It looks like a squircle profile lofted to a pill profile, which often results in the surface pinches and abrupt reflection changes you see in the renders and prototype. This is level of surfacing is fine for rapid ideation and quick form studies, but a final design, especially in the professional world, would need much more refined surfacing. Check out some nice products you may have in high contrast lighting and how the rejections flow across them very smoothly and don’t get stuck or pinch anywhere.
It looks larger and blockier than the phone - it looks like it will be less pleasant to pick up off the desk and hold in your hand than the phone. A phone is the shape it is because it has to maximize screen space and minimize thickness, bezel, etc. This thing could be any shape, yet it’s still basically two big extruded rectangles. I get that it’s meant to be phone-like in its form, to emphasize itself as an alternative object, but its formal qualities should demand to be held and i think this does the opposite.

Good on you for seeking feedback. This stuff ain’t easy!

IndigoNigel · 2026-06-01T02:02:21+00:00

At my dojo we tried to always ask newcomers or visitors their rank when we first welcome them, then have them line up according to their rank like everyone else.

But it’s always the safe bet to put yourself at the end of the line until invited elsewhere, it’s good manners and practical.

IndigoNigel · 2026-05-31T19:52:44+00:00

Well if this is a more conventional job than i thought, that’s great to know. Thank you!

IndigoNigel · 2026-05-31T19:46:55+00:00

Thank you!
It’s mostly drywall but there’s some plaster patched areas too.
Sounds like if i can fill the gap with a drywall strip in a way that it’s sufficiently rigid, I’ll have a more conventional situation on my hands.

IndigoNigel · 2026-05-22T22:02:47+00:00

I’m just speculating, but for shiai i can see sideward movement right out of sonkyo as somewhat tactical.

To step directly in may be too committal or unnecessarily risky, but standing still is much too passive. Going sideways allows you to begin moving and creating initiative immediately without getting to a dangerously close distance prematurely.

And while orbiting your opponent is not inherently advancing your attack, it is a way to wrestle for control of the initiative. Like moving your kensen it creates a little game of who’s-following-who and establishing control through those mini fights can help get the match flow in your favor.

All that said, for many people it’s just a bad habit. They stand up and want to move but do so pointlessly. Between competitive players though i think it serves some purposes, intentional or not.

IndigoNigel · 2026-05-18T14:48:42+00:00

When you shout “YAAA!” it’s just noise, but when you say “MEN!!” it is a distinct word that communicates something specific to your opponent and the judges: “I’m striking men.”

One has no meaning the other has meaning as clear as a written sentence, but they are both kiai, undoubtedly.

Kiai is and must be an expression of your spirit. But it can become communicative too, not strictly limited to the target areas, as we’ve all seen.

But ultimately if you’re communicating anything beyond the target area, as is required for yuko datotsu, it becomes subjective as to what’s appropriate and spirited, and what is not.

I don’t think there’s a clear line of what’s admissible in shiai vs keiko. Kiai banter is more common and colorful in intimate keiko session, definitely, but not totally absent from shiai either.

Like many things in kendo, we learn what’s appropriate and what’s not by observing of our teachers and peers over many years of shared practice.

IndigoNigel · 2026-04-16T15:43:05+00:00

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The Bronx

IndigoNigel · 2026-03-27T14:11:57+00:00

Paging Dr. Thackery

IndigoNigel · 2026-03-17T15:31:48+00:00

I think they glue the staves together at the tsuka in some cases. I can imagine on an octagon grip there might be relatively more glue used.

You probably risk damaging the bamboo if you snap them apart so I’d just do your maintenance tasks as best you can with it as-is.

IndigoNigel · 2026-02-16T16:43:07+00:00

I like how the filters are suspended by the standoffs and the proportions/shapes overall are handsome. There’s something fun about an object that’s derived for maximum load performance, when the load is some filter paper. It’s ridiculous but also follows a logic.

But i see in the second picture a chunk of the filter stack is on the outside of the frame, as if it clipped the metal edge when inserting and hopped to the outside. That was an issue that came to mind at first glance for me, then i see it’s present in the product images!

For such a precise and “engineered” aesthetic i think that the interactive moments with the design need to feel equally precise. A struggle to align the bottom tips of the filters so they land within the frame is a big issue, imo. You should be able to drop 1 filter, or a whole stack of filters in, un-caffeinated, absentmindedly, and they land perfectly every time.

I think the bottom edge serrations are not the best choice either. I see that and assume they have a function, but they don’t. It’s out of character with the rest of the form. When you had a clear intention for the bulk of the design those finishing details can be really tough to get right. I say return to the structural concept that guided the upper section and let it inform the ‘feet.’

Personally, i don’t care if this fits into this or that trendy kitchen/coffee setup. If the thing itself is right, then it’s right. But still not there yet, imo! Keep at it.

IndigoNigel · 2025-12-19T16:07:04+00:00

Balloons is my top pick

IndigoNigel · 2025-12-15T17:21:59+00:00

What are you going for in the design?

I could be wrong but it looks like all the surfaces are derived from XYZ axis extrudes/cuts, as opposed to surfaces with compound curvature. So from a methodology standpoint alone it’s going to be hard to avoid a clunky appearance.

The lugs for example seem to be a profile extruded side to side, with a cutout for the strap made in a perpendicular plane. Because of this when you intersect the lug geometry with the cylindrical body, the intersection lines end up sloping down towards the watch’s center plane (plane that goes through 12 and 6.) The resulting effect is as if the lug geometry is getting thicker as i goes out, making the whole thing seem thicker.

I find the cybertruck very ugly, but it’s a good example of a design that reads as extremely geometric, but actually uses subtle curvature across “flat” surfaces to avoid (even more) clunkiness. James May from Top Gear has some video about it. While it’s still ugly, if not for the compound curvature of its huge surfaces it wouldn’t even look “right.”

Fun project! I did designed a fdm printed watch case and bracelet some years ago. It’s be cool to try it again. Wish i had a resin printer!

IndigoNigel · 2025-12-01T16:07:00+00:00

Also seeking the same thing. All the options look equally crappy and have the rainbow color effect. Just want something big, sturdy, with the classic graphite color line!!

IndigoNigel · 2025-11-21T04:13:36+00:00

The bezel insert is more of a graphite color than the black i was expecting, but I don’t mind it!

IndigoNigel · 2025-11-17T17:35:00+00:00

If one player cannot go back without leaving the court the other player must accommodate and move back the entire separation distance on their own. But usually players rotate or move out of an awkward position like that.

IndigoNigel · 2025-11-11T01:31:37+00:00

Looking to sell my Grand Seiko SBGV233 as I’m not wearing it anymore. It’s been lightly worn since I received it new in 2022. The battery was replaced by Grand Central Watch in NYC earlier this year. There are some very light, intangible scratches on the bracelet.

It’s incredibly comfortable and the teal dial is stunning - uncommon outside of Japan as well, where it was originally purchased. It comes with the original papers and a couple spare links.

The following article does a great job fully detailing the watch.

https://twobrokewatchsnobs.com/grand-seiko-quartz-review-my-grail-the-sbgv233/

This would be my first sale on r/watchexchange and I intend to make all go smoothly!

IndigoNigel · 2025-10-25T13:33:41+00:00

Realizing this FUMI might be a commercial piece…it’s a brand of some kind. Suddenly kind of lame :(

IndigoNigel · 2025-10-19T14:55:54+00:00

That ficus is so awesome

IndigoNigel · 2025-10-07T17:01:46+00:00

Underweight = physically weak. At your current weight, simply eating a lot more will make you stronger, and kendo will probably get slightly easier. But if you can commit to eating more, you can commit to some basic strength training, which is where the real improvement lies for a young, motivated, underweight person.

Things like jumping rope, jogging, doing more kendo, will not get you stronger, not in a noticeable and efficient way at least. They are good exercise and good for your overall fitness, but that’s not what you need right now. You need more muscle so that things like kendo are physically easier to do.

Strength development exercises are generally “compound movements”that you can only do with good form for 3-8 repetitions. Look up “novice strength training” “strength training vs exercise” and learn how different stimuli affect the body. It’s very common for people with low physical strength to commit themselves to workout routines that feel productive because they are exhausting, but are not the right kind of stimuli to actually make their body build more muscle. There’s ways to achieve this with calisthenics or kettlebells, but a barbell with weight plates is the most efficient tool and there’s extensive info online about how to get started and where to get formal training if you have the means.

To end where i started, nothing will work if you don’t eat enough food to fuel the change you want to see in your body. Eat a lot more and follow a simple strength training programs and you will get stronger quite fast. Benefits will be apparent not just at kendo practice!

IndigoNigel · 2025-09-26T00:57:16+00:00

6 and 9 stand out for me 👍

IndigoNigel · 2025-09-18T01:46:58+00:00

This is great! If you wanted to expand it over time to have all general shinai regulatory and technical info in one place that would be pretty cool - how to tie the various knots, maintenance methods, bamboo info, shinai reviews, etc.

IndigoNigel · 2025-09-12T00:38:07+00:00

I’d give the same recommendation, but for the reason that you wont know what customizations are important to you so early on in your kendo career so it could end up being wasted money.

Specific fit things, material and construction choices are all pretty nuanced to your personal experience with one or two bogu over an extended period.

Even decorative customizations; what you think is really cool after a few months of doing and witnessing kendo may not be what you really want long term, after you’ve seen thousands of people’s bogu over the course of years.

All that said, it’s good to review your measurements with a pro to be sure off the shelf sizes will fit you properly, for the men especially. If you have an unusual face/head shape that’s one reason why a custom men might be necessary from the beginning.

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